Cigarette



R. F. MAY

CIGARETTE Filed Feb. 1, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l orneyo" R. F. MAY

CIGARETTE Filed Feb. 1, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. I T/May ggwm w May 24,1938.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 1, 1937 Iwyen To/nr Patented ay 24, 1938 U Ni 'i' CIGARETTE land Application February 1, 1937, Serial No. 123,515 inGreat Britain January 24, 1936 13 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarettes and is particularly concerned withan improved method and apparatus for the production of filter tip andlike composite cigarettes by uniting axially aligned 5 cigarettes orlengths of cigarette rod and filter tips or mouthpiece portions by meansof uniting bands or wrappers.

The invention has for its primary object to provide an improved methodof and means for applying the uniting bands or wrappers around theassembled lengths whereby the uniting operation may be effected withoutany rolling or other movement of the cigarettes, and whereby thewrapping pressure may be maintained to ensure l5 proper adhesion whilethe assemblages are being fed axially.

The present invention furthermore renders it possible, in a methodinvolving the wrapping of uniting bands around assembled lengths fed ax-20 ially to and from wrapping means, to effect the initial applicationof the uniting bands to the assemblages while the same are stationaryand positioned in registration with the means for applying the unitingbands or wrappers.

According to the present invention, the lengths to be united, assembledin line and after uniting bands or wrappers have been brought intocontact therewith, are fed axially and intermittently, and the wrappingof the uniting bands or wrap- 30 pers around the lengths to be united iseffected by the action of means moving lengthwise of the assemblage in adirection opposite to the feed movement thereof, the wrapping operationtaking place during a period or periods when the :13 assemblage isstationary. The wrapping operation is efiected by means reciprocated inthe lengthwise direction of the assemblage, the wrapping movement in adirection opposite to the direction of feed taking place when theassemblage #:H is stationary and the return movement coinciding more orless with the forward movement of the assemblage.

Owing to the fact that during the forward movement of the assemblage thewrapping device 4-? moves substantially therewith, the wrapping pressureon each uniting band is maintained throughout the feed movement with theresult that efiective adhesion is ensured.

The invention is hereinafter described by way to of example withreference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 1a taken together show a side elevation partly in sectionillustrating one embodiment of apparatus adapted for carrying out 55 theinvention;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line II--II of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are sections on the lines III-III and IV--IVrespectively of Figure 1a; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line V-V of Figure 1.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one embodiment, pairsof cigarettes I, la and interposed double length filter tips 2 ormouthpiece portions are fed respectively from hoppers 3, 3a and i intogrooves in a drum 5 which is moved intermittently, for instance by meansof a helical cam la engaging a gear 5a on the drum spindle and mountedon a shaft lb driven through bevel gears is, to from the main shaft 6.Each assemblage comprising two cigarettes I, la and an interposed doublelength filter tip 2, is discharged in turn on to a belt 9 carried onrollers 53a and by which the assemblage is movecl axially. Preferablythe belt 9 moves continuously and the lengths constituting theassemblage are simultaneously deposited on the belt 9 by means offingers 8 carried by levers 8a pivoted on brackets I ia projecting fromthe bed M of the machine and operated, for instance, by eccentrics 6bthe straps 8b of which are connected to the lower end of the levers 8a.Cams 50 on the shaft 6 co-operate with levers 80 which through links 801raise the fingers 8, the downward movement thereof being effected bysprings 8e (Figure 3). In operation the fingers 8 are projected intocircumferential slots 5b in the drum 5 so as to lie above the leadingassemblage and as the fingers 8 again move outwardly they are caused todrop so as to engage the assemblage and roll the same on to the belt 9.

The assemblage deposited on the belt 9 is positioned by means of a guide91) and is conveyed axially by the belt 9 into an inverted c-shapedguide 90 and up to a stop Hi. The stop I is pivoted at lilo and isoperated by means of a cam llld mounted on a shaft Hie driven throughbevel gears up, 612 from the main shaft 6. The cam llld operates thestop it through a push rod Nib provided with a return spring l 530. Bymeans of the stop 58 the assemblage is positioned in the inverted C-haped guide 90 with its lower part exposed and in correct registrationwith means for applying a uniting band I I.

As shown'in Fig. 4, the uniting bands 1 l are fed into position on anintermittently moving belt l2 having perforations lZa and passing over asuction box 53 having suction holes 130. and a flexible suction pipei311. The suction box I3 is pivoted about the axis of a roller I30 on aspindle I3d and is adapted to be raised and lowered by means of a cam 8eon the main shaft 6 operating on a lever I6 connected, by means of alink Ilia,

to the spindle I3g of a roller I3e around which the. perforated belt I2passes, a return. spring Iiib being provided. The belt I2 is led on tothe suction box I3 over a stationary suction box I5.

Thus, after an assemblage is positioned as shown in Figure 1, theoperation of the cam 6e raises the suction box I3 and thus presses theleading uniting band I I into contact with the assemblage.- The cam Beis arranged to maintain the suction box I3 in the raised position whilethe stop ID is released and the assemblage is discharged axially by thefeed movement of the next following assemblage on the belt 9 and inorder to maintain the uniting band II in contact with the assemblageduring this movement, the suction box I3 may be provided with anextension plate I31 as shown in Figure 1.

The axially movingassemblage with the uniting band attached is engagedby rollers I1, I'Ia, V the lower roller I'Ia being cylindrical and theupper roller I! being grooved and preferably being driven,- forinstance, through gears I11), I 89 so as to have a slight acceleratingaction on the assemblage which is thereby delivered through an extension9d of the inverted C-shaped guide a on to a conveyor belt I8. Theconveyor belt I8 passes around rollers I8a, I81), I80, a large diameterdriving roller Mid and a guide roller I86, the usual tensioning 'rollerI8) being provided. The driving roller I8d is driven intermittently bythe engagement of a gear segment I9 .with a gear I8h on the drumspindle, the driving roller I8d being positively held during periods ofnon-rotation by the -co-operation of a stop disc I8i-with acorresponding part on or attached to :the gear segment I9. The gearsegment is mounted on a shaft I9a driven from the shaft 6 1 throughhelical gears I91), 61. The diameter of the driving roller I8dpreferably is such thateach movement which, asshown in the drawings, maycorrespond to a quarter of a revolution of the roller, is equal to thelength of one assemblage.

A wrapping device 20 reciprocable lengthwise 1n.relation"to theassemblage is provided and such wrapping device 28 vconveniently is inthe V form .of a travelling garniture slidable along guides 44b andco-operating with'the belt I8. The, device 20 maybe driven from a crankdisc 2!. onthe shaft IIle before referred to through a link 2hr, lever2Ib and link 2Ic. The drive to, the. roller- IM and to the wrappingdevice 20 -is timed so that during the forward movement of the belt I8the device 28 movessubstantially therewith and so that backward movementof the device 2D, .during which the wrapping of the uniting bands iseffected, takes place during penods-when the belt I8 is stationary.Preferably, as in thearrangement shown, the device 20 effectsthewrapping of each uniting band around the respective assemblage in twostages and after each stage the wrapping'pressure is maintained duringthe period of forward movement of the belt I8 and the device 28.

On the completion ofthe wrapping movement ofthe device 20 the foremostassemblagawith the uniting bandcompletely wrapped there-' around, isleft-free on the belt I8 and on the next forward movement of the belt I8the assemblage is moved into engagement with accelerating rollers- 22,22a which may be driven through gears 22b; I872and-whereby the unitedassemblage is delivered intoa flute in a drum 23, and up to a1,

stop plate 24. By the drum 23 the assemblages are carried past a rotarycutter 26 by which the assemblages are bisected to produce individualcigarettes. During the cutting operation the assemblages are positionedbetween the stop plate 24 and a corresponding side plate 24a and aremaintained in the grooves in the drum 23 by means of curved guides 28.The drum 23 may be driven intermittently by means of a helical cam 25mounted on a shaft 25a driven through gears 25b, 69 from the main shaft6.

The cigarettes are finally discharged down inclined guides 21 on toconveying means such as a belt 29 passing over a roller 29a.

In Figure 1 the driving roller I8d is shown as having just completed aquarter of a revolution and the wrapping device 20 is about to move inthe direction opposite to the direction of feed. It will be seen thatduring this movement of the device 28 the uniting band Ila, which hadbeen partially wrapped around the assemblage during the previouswrapping movement, will be completed, while the uniting band II- appliedto the succeeding assemblage will be partially wrapped therearound, butat the same time the leading assemblage on the belt I8 around whichthere! spective uniting band II will be completely wrapped will be leftfree on the belt for discharge by the rollers 22, 22a on the nextforward l movement of thebelt. I8. In the position shown" in Figure 1also an assemblage has just been accelerated into a flute in the drum23-:by the operationof the rollers 22a and the stop 10-:

has just moved to the engaging position to arrest 5 and 23 are moved sothat on the next forward movement of the belt l8 the, drum 23 presentsan 1401; the movement of the wrapping device the drums.

open flute for the reception of the leading united assemblage While the;drum v5 brings an assemblage-into-position for transfer on to the belt 91 after the stop ID has'been released.

Although the wrapping device 20 preferably movessubstantiallywith thebelt I8 on its for.--

wardstroke, a certain amount of relative move ment between-the wrappingdevice 20 and the,

belt I8 is permissible and-would have no effect on the operation.

Furthermore, it will be understood-that :the, invention is applicable totheproduction of com-- posite cigarettes containing two difierent kinds,

of tobacco and is also applicable to the produce,

tion-of cigarettes in which a tubular reinforcee; ment or filter Wad isprovideduat an 'intermee diate position in its length.-

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the productionof composite' cigarettes, comprising anendless conveyor by which. assembled. lengths of cigarette rod andfilter tipsto be united, with uniting bands'at tached thereto, are fedaxially, means for driving the conveyor intermittently, wrappingmeans-reciprocable lengthwise of the conveyor;- and' mechanism operatingthe 'saidwrapping means so that its wrapping movement in a directionop-- posite to the feed movement of the-conveyortakes placewhileitheconveyor is stationary and so that. its return movement coincidessubstantially with the forward'movement of the,:con'- veyor.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the endless conveyorconstitutes a wrapping belt, and wherein the wrapping means is in theform of a travelling garniture co-operating with the belt.

3. Apparatus for the production of composite cigarettes, lengths ofcigarette rod and mouthpiece portions in alignment to form assemblages,means for applying a uniting band to the assemblages, conveying meansfor conveying the assemblages successively and axially to said means forapplying a uniting band thereto, means for registering an assemblageaxially in relation to the uniting band-applying means, an endlessconveyor belt, means for feeding an assemblage, with a uniting bandattached thereto, on to the endless conveyor belt, an axiallyreciprocable wrapping device associated with said conveyor belt, meansfor reciprocating said wrapping device and for driving the conveyor beltintermittently so that the periods of rest of the belt coincide withrearward movement of the wrapping device and so that the forwardmovements of the belt coincide substantially with the forward movementsof the wrapping device, cutting means for bisecting the assemblages toproduce individual cigarettes, and means for conveying the assemblagesto said cutting means.

4. A method for the production of composite cigarettes by unitingaxially aligned lengths of cigarette rod and mouthpiece portions bymeans of uniting bands, comprising assembling the lengths to be unitedin axial aligmnent to form an assemblage, bringing a uniting band incontact therewith, feeding the assemblage with said uniting band incontact therewith axially and intermittently, and displacing a wrappingdevice lengthwise of said assemblage in a direction opposite to thedirection of travel of the assemblage, between intermittent feedmovements of said assemblage and while the latter is stationary, toefiect wrapping of the uniting band about said assemblage.

5. A method for the production of composite cigarettes by unitingaxially aligned lengths of cigarette rod and mouthpiece portions bymeans of uniting bands, comprising assembling the lengths to be unitedin axial alignment to form an assemblage, bringing a uniting band incontact therewith, feeding the assemblage with said uniting band incontact therewith axially and intermittently, displacing a wrappingdevice lengthwise of said assemblage in a direction opposite to thedirection of travel of the assemblage, between intermittent feedmovements of said assemblage and while the latter is stationary, toefiect wrapping of the uniting band about said assemblage, anddisplacing the wrapping device in the opposite direction substantiallycoincidentally with the intermittent feed movement of the assemblage.

6. A method for the production of composite cigarettes by unitingaxially aligned lengths of cigarette rod and mouthpiece portions bymeans of uniting bands, comprising assembling the lengths to be unitedin axial alignment to form an assemblage, bringing a uniting band incontact therewith, feeding the assemblage with said uniting band incontact therewith axially and intermittently, displacing a wrappingdevice lengthwise of said assemblage in a direction opposite to thedirection of travel of the assemblage, between intermittent feedmovements of said assemblage and while the latter is stationary, to

comprising means for assembling effect a first stage of wrapping of theuniting band about said assemblage, displacing said wrapping device,while in engagement with said assemblage and before completion of thewrapping operation, in the opposite direction substantiallycoincidentally with the intermittent feeding movement of the assemblage,and again displacing said wrapping device in the direction opposite tothe direc-- tion of feed of the assemblage between intermittent feedmovements and while said assemblage is stationary to complete thewrapping of said uniting band or wrapper about said assemblage.

'7. A method for the production of composite cigarettes by unitingaxially aligned lengths of cigarette rod and mouthpiece portions bymeans of uniting bands, comprising assembling pairs of single cigaretteswith double-length mouthpiece portions interposed between them to forman assemblage, feeding the assemblage axially and intermittently,applying a uniting band to the assemblage while stationary, furtherfeeding the assemblage with said uniting band in contact therewithaxially and intermittently, and displacing a wrapping device lengthwiseof said assemblage in a direction opposite to the direction of travel ofthe assemblage, between intermittent feed movements of said assemblageand while the latter is stationary, to effect wrapping of the unitingband about said assemblage.

8. A method for the production of composite cigarettes consisting inassembling lengths of cigarette rod and mouthpiece portions in axialalignment to form an assemblage, feeding each assemblage axially,stopping the feeding movement of the assemblage, applying a uniting bandto said assemblage while stationary, displacing the assemblage, with theuniting band attached thereto, axially on to a conveyor belt,subsequently arresting the forward movement of the conveyor belt,displacing a wrapping device, while the conveyor belt and assemblage arestationary, lengthwise along the assemblage in a direction opposite tothe feed movement to wrap the uniting band around the assemblage,discharging the assemblage axially by subsequent feed movements, andsubsequently bisecting the united assemblages to produce individualcigarettes.

9. An apparatus for the production of filter tip cigarettes, comprisingmeans for intermittently displacing assemblages of lengths of axiallyaligned cigarettes and filter tip portions in a lengthwise direction,means for applying a uniting band to each assemblage, positioning meansfor stopping an assemblage, between intermittent displacements, inregister with the band applying means, means for actuating saidpositioning means to interpose it in the path of displacement of saidassemblages and remove the same therefrom, an endless conveyor by whichan assemblage of lengths of cigarette rod and filter tips to be united,with uniting bands attached thereto, are fed axially, means for drivingthe conveyor intermittently, wrapping means reciprocable lengthwise ofthe conveyor, and mechanism operating the said wrapping means so thatits wrapping movement in a direction opposite to the feed movement ofthe conveyor takes place while the conveyor is stationary and so thatits return movement coincides substantially with the forward movement ofthe conveyor.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, means for supporting anassemblage of axially aligned cigarettes and filter tip lengths to beunited, with one side of said assemblage exposed, an intermittentlymoving conveyor for feeding a uniting band to a supported assemblage,and means for shifting said conveyor toward the assemblage to apply aband on said conveyor to the assemblage.

11. An apparatus for the production of filter tip cigarettes, comprisingmeans for intermittently displacing assembled lengths of axially alignedcigarettes and filter tip portions in a lengthwise direction, a slottedtube for supporting an assemblage of said lengths, an intermittentlymovable conveyor for conveying uniting bands to a position beneath saidslotted tube, and means for raising said conveyor to apply a unitingband carried thereby to the assemblage supported in said tube.

12. An apparatus for the production of filter tip cigarettes, comprisingmeans for intermittently displacing assembled lengths of axially alignedcigarettes and filter tip portions in a lengthwise direction, a slottedtube for supporting an assemblage of said lengths, an intermittentlymovable conveyor for conveying uniting bands to a position beneath saidslotted tube, means for raising said conveyor to apply a uniting bandcarried thereby to the assemblage supported in said tube, an endlessconveyor by which assembled lengths of cigarettes and filter tips to beunited, with uniting bands attached thereto, are fed axially, means fordriving the conveyor intermittently, wrapping means reciprocablelengthwise of the conveyor, and mechanism operating the said wrappingmeans so that its wrapping movement in a direction opposite to the feedmovement of the conveyor takes place while the conveyor is stationaryand so that its return movement coincides substantially with the forward movement of the conveyor.

13. An apparatus for the production of filter tip cigarettes, comprisingmeans for intermittently displacing assembled lengths of axially alignedcigarettes and filter tip portions in a lengthwise direction, a slottedtube for supporting an assemblage of said lengths, an intermittentlymovable conveyor for conveying uniting bands to a position beneath saidslotted tube, a suction box beneath said slotted tube and over which theuniting band conveyor travels, means for raising said suction box tobring a uniting band supported thereon into engagement with theassemblage supported in said tube, an endless conveyor by whichassembled lengths of cigarettes andfilter tips to be united, withuniting bands attached thereto, are fed axially, means for driving theconveyor intermittently, wrapping means reciprocable lengthwise of theconveyor, mechanism operating the said wrapping means so thatitswrapping movement in a direction opposite to the feed movement of theconveyor takes place while the conveyor is stationary and so that itsreturn movement coincides substantially with the forward movement of theconveyor, and an extension carried by said suction box for supportingthe uniting band applied to the assemblage during movement thereof tothe endless conveyor.

ROWLAND FRANK MAY.

